Locals get up-close look at airport

COATESVILLE — With the goal of fostering a deeper relationship with the area residents, Chester County Airport celebrated the 50th anniversary of its rededication on Saturday with its Fall Flying Festival.

“We’re looking forward to doing this more in the future, because we want the community to come out and see what we have at the airport and what the benefit is to the county,” said Mike Bem, president of the Chester County Airport Pilots and Tenants Association, and co-owner of the Flying Machine restaurant at the airport. “This is one of the jewels of the county, that frankly, a lot of people don’t know is here.”

Most of the aircraft available for public viewing on Saturday were those housed at the airport. They ranged from small homebuilt models to corporate jets, luxury helicopters and World War II-era craft.

Along with flying demonstrations throughout the day, Saturday’s attendees had a chance to go up in four-seat planes for $35 for adults and $20 for children under 12. The goal was to keep prices down, so that as many as possible could see the planes and take a ride.

“Normally airport activities have included an entry fee, but this year, people and tenants who use the airport decided to sponsor all of the costs,” Bem said. “We really wanted to get the non-flying public in and open it up to them.”

In addition to pleasure aircraft, Bem said the airport is heavily used by corporations on the western side of Philadelphia. It also features a flight school, which trains pilots up through airline qualification levels.

Bem said the airport provides a good number of local jobs, on the grounds and through surrounding businesses, like Sikorsky Global Helicopter.

“Without the airport, I’m sure those jobs wouldn’t be here, because those companies wouldn’t be located where they are,” Bem said.

Bem uses the airport to house his own homebuilt two-seat plane, which he can fly as far as Florida non-stop and that he’s taken as far as California. In addition to his own hobby, with a nascent outreach program, Bem is engaged in an effort to bring in a new generation of potential flyers.

“The number of pilots in the country is dwindling, primarily because the primary feeder in years past was the military, and many are getting older and there just aren’t the same numbers being generated,” Bem said. “We want to get anyone who’s interested in here and provide means so they can get involved in aviation early. It can be a good career, whether in support in maintenance and operation or in the cockpit.”

Bem said the airport, which has served the area since 1928, has hosted a number of school field trips this year, and hopes to increase the amount in the future.

Even as Saturday’s event progressed, Bem had one eye on what lies ahead.

“We’re already planning next year’s event, and we’ll have more activities here throughout the year,” Bem said. “We want to involve the whole community as much as we can.”